The Clark Pink Diamond  sold at Christie’s last month for US$15.7 million far exceeding their estimate of US$6 – 8 million. The successful bidder was U.S. diamond, gem and jewelry specialist Brett Stettner of Stettner Investment Diamonds.

This is the second most valuable private collection sold in the United States in the last decade, just behind the legendary jewels of Elizabeth Taylor.

The diamond is a very rare 9 carat cushion-cut, fancy vivid purplish pink which set a new record for a pink diamond sold at auction in the U.S.

The buyer Brett Stettner of Stettner Investment Diamonds says he plans to “refine the gem a bit” and  rename it the “Clark Grenald Stettner” Pink. The name “Grenald” is in honor of Stettner’s grandfather.

The Clark Pink was part of the collection of Huguette M. Clark, an heiress and philanthropist of the Gilded Age.

Rahul Kadakia, Christie’s Americas’ head of jewelry, told Reuters that the ring was part of a collection sold for $21 million.

Clark, who died last year aged 104, lived a reclusive life after 1930 and her activities were virtually unknown to the public. Upon her death in 2011, she left behind a vast fortune, including the sold jewels, most of which was donated to charity. Substantial sums were also left to her longtime nurse, her goddaughter, some employees and her attorney.

Other highlights from the Clark collection included a 20-carat D-color diamond ring which sold for $3.1 million, beating its high estimate.

Sauter Carbon Offset Designs (SCOD) presents the Emax Super Marine 45′ the World’s First Zero Carbon Superyacht Tender.

The Emax utilizes Allison’s Hybrid technology which has years of proven reliability from Arctic to sub tropical environments is employed in thousands of hybrid buses the world over as well as the GM fleet of Hybrid pickup trucks, the Hybrid Cadillac Escalade and surprisingly the Hybrid Bluetec S Class Mercedes Benz .

Whether shuttling passengers and supplies back and forth or embarking on an exhilarating adventure, the luxurious teak decked Super Marine 45 can seat up to 10 people, plus 4 sunbathers on the sun bed. Inside the cabin beneath the Solar Center Cockpit she provides a shower room with stand up head and a sumptuous double bed. For excursions there’s a kitchenette with fridge/freezer, stove, microwave and a foredeck table for setting out a buffet or having a sit down luncheon for six guests.

Richard Sauter Head of Design commented “With a top speed of 80 knots, no other Superyacht tender compares to this upper echelon of performance combined with luxury, style and versatility.”

As a jet propelled Zero Carbon recreational watercraft she is the safest and by far the most Eco Friendly boat of her kind.

Jaguar’s newly released models are sure to bring luxury motor enthusiasts something to look forward to in 2012.

The Jaguar C-X16 features a 3.0L Supercharged V6 engine with a performance boosting electric motor inspired by Formula One’s Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS).

There is also high-tech features including Smartphone Connectivity that is integrated into the cockpit’s touchscreen and the Intelligent Venting System that rapidly alters the cabin temperature based on the climate.

60 Sunreef Power Rear

This yacht has all the features of the popular 70 Sunreef Power, except its 27.8 ft / 8.5 m beam makes it more convenient for crowded marinas. It is also an alternative to tradtional motor yachts with its low fuel consumption, long range, superb living space, secured guests intimacy, customized interior design and stability.

60 Sunreef Power Master Cabin

The first unit of the 60 Sunreef Power has been commissioned by a French owner, and will be laid out in a semi-owner version with two double cabins in the forward section, two double cabins in the starboard hull, and one double, one bunk-bed cabin in the port hull. All cabins have private bathrooms and abundant storage.

60 Sunreef Power Salon

The interior of the main deck will feature the galley and a dining area, while a mezzanine floor located in the midship will feature the internal helm station and lounge, providing access to the forward guest cabins and the flybridge. The spacious sun deck, Sunreef’s speciality and trademark, comprises the external helm station, wet bar, dining area and a huge sun pad, ideal for outdoor lounging in the sun.

60 Sunreef Power Guest Cabin

The interior design is modern and minimalist, based on wenge and oak contrast, finished with cream and white upholstery and brushed stainless steel details.

The first unit is due for launch in late May 2012.

Interested in ordering your own 69 Sunreef Power? Then contact Sunreef Yachts for more information.

A huge 12.76 carat pink diamond has been uneartherd by mining Giant Rio Tinto in Australia. It is the largest of the rare and precious stones ever found in the resources-rich nation.

Named the Argyle Pink Jubilee, the huge rough stone was found at Rio Tinto’s pink diamond operations in the Kimberley region of Western Australia and would take 10 days to cut and polish, the miner said on Wednesday.

“This rare diamond is generating incredible excitement. A diamond of this calibre is unprecedented — it has taken 26 years of Argyle production to unearth this stone and we may never see one like this again,” said Josephine Johnson from Rio’s Argyle Pink Diamonds division.

The light pink Argyle Jubilee is a similar colour to the 24-carat Williamson Pink given to Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II as a wedding gift which was later set into a Cartier brooch for her coronation.

The Williamson was discovered in Tanzania in 1947 and is ranked among the finest pink diamonds in existence.

Rio produces more than 90 percent of the world’s pink diamonds from the Argyle mine, and said large stones like the Jubilee typically went to museums, were gifted to royalty or end up at prestigious auction houses like Christie’s.

Christie’s had only auctioned 18 polished pink diamonds larger than 10 carats in its 244-year history, Rio said.

When the Jubilee diamond has been cut and polished it will be graded by international experts and showcased globally before being sold by invitation-only tender later this year.

According to local Aboriginal folklore, the Argyle mine was formed when a barramundi fish jumped through the net of three local hunters. The diamonds are its scales glinting in the sun and the pink ones are the fish’s heart.

Everyone has their favourite cocktail, but have you wondered what cocktail actually fits your personality? Take the Discover Your Winter Cocktail quiz and find out by answering a few simple questions!

To make it more fun why not take the quiz while enjoying a Chocolate Snowball, Spring Fever or a Winter Breeze cocktail all recipes are below.

Drink responsibly and enjoy life!

Chocolate Snowball
Ingredients:
60ml (2oz) Coconut rum
60ml (2oz) Irish cream
30ml (1oz) Hazelnut liqueur
105mls (3 1/2 oz) melted chocolate
105mls (3 1/2 oz) cream
1 dash chocolate syrup

Preparation: Place the chocolate syrup around the glass then place the other ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice and shake. Strain into glass.

Spring Fever
Ingredients:
23mls (3/4 oz) lemon juice
23mls (3/4 oz) mango syrup
45mls (1 1/2 oz) pineapple juice
60ml (2oz) blood orange juice

Preparation: Shake well over ice cubes in a shaker, and strain into a collins glass half-filled with crushed ice.

Winter Breeze
Ingredients:
30ml (1oz) Creme de Cacao
30ml (1oz) Vanilla Schnapps
30ml (1oz) Irish cream milk

Preparation: Pour liquors into a beer mug, and fill with milk. Stir, and serve.

Here’s a new way for gentlemen to dress up suede bucks, oxfords and even patent tux shoes: statement laces.

Bright colored strings are emerging as a way for men to accessorize, from the well-heeled models at Dunhill’s Spring 2011 runway show to preppy menswear labels such as Paul Smith, where certain shoes are sold with bright colored laces already tied up (with a neutral-colored spare included in the box for the faint of heart).

This clever trick has been employed by dandies—especially in London, Milan, Paris and Tokyo—for years. However, Derrick Miller, founder of the Manhattan-based, London-bred shoe label Barker Black, says that stateside, the trend may be an extension of the loud laces found on funky sneakers—apparently street style is sneaking up on Savile Row.

Although the concept feels especially modern now (little details are the new bling), there is evidence that decorative laces go back centuries, says Elizabeth Semmelhack, senior curator of The Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto. Heeled shoes were introduced in the late 16th century and by the 17th, most upper class men were wearing them with colorful bows and ribbons. “They were used to secure the shoe to the foot and could be quite colorful in their own right,” she says. Some men went one step further, Ms. Semmelhack says, and attached large colorful bows known as shoe “roses” over the ribbons.

History aside, there’s no doubt the simple act of pairing fire-engine red or royal purple shoelaces with a pair of brown wingtips provides lots of punch for very little effort—like wearing wacky socks with a pair of serious shoes and your grey flannels. The look works best with chestnut kicks rather than black, where the contrast can be jarring. Beginners may want to start with a more muted hue, but if you’re feeling adventurous, go brighter, neon even. Just be sure laces are your one and only statement, and give your other preferred pieces of flair—argyles, pocket squares, suspenders—a well-deserved rest.

—Ray A. Smith

Article from WSJ

Top image: Colored laces at Dunhill’s Spring 2011 runway show.

Custom motorcycles are nothing new in today’s climate of individuality, but niche motorcycle builder, Destino Custom Garage has come up with something a little different.

It launched its new flagship motorcycle the Destino Samurai at the recent Australian Motorcycle Expo (Sydney, November 2011) and sold out within the first week.

How?

Destino limits production to 4 bikes per year, and even if you want one, you’ll have to wait for an invitation because the Destino Samurai bike is available for purchase “by invitation only”.

Are you worthy?

Swiss brand Victorinox, producers of the world famous pocket knives, introduces its new fragrance range in an inventive way via a 360° interactive video. Shot in a Swiss lake, in less than one minute the video gives you a panoramic experience of plunging into a fresh mountain lake for a refreshing dip.

The video experience triggers the feeling of well-being and freshness exemplified by Victorinox’s men’s fragrances, which captures the essence of Switzerland: the beauty, freedom and freshness of snow capped mountains, majestic glaciers, flowering meadows and glistening lakes.

Take a swim yourself and enjoy a revitalizing dip, the Swiss way of freshness.